Sugar beet harvester



Nav. l, W49 L. BoTlMl-:R

SUGAR BEET HARVESTER 4 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed June '24, 1943 INVENTOR.

/PoTl M En JJM' mm 9 om am@ N3 n um mm om WLS.

ATTORNEYS SUGAR BEET HARVESTER original Filed June 24, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 1949 1 BOTIMER 2,485,915

SUGAR BEET HARVESTER Original Filed June 24, 194.5-V 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGB.

Il gggf 39 3e www im 1.3

\ INVENTOR.

LLOYD BOTIMER ATTQRNEYS Nov. l, 1949 LFBLQTIMER SUUAR BEET HARVESTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed June 24, 1943 INVENTOR.

LLOYD BOTI MER' ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1949 ITED SUGAR BEET HARVESTER Lloyd Botimer, Vassar, Mich.

Continuation of application Serial No. 492,077, June 24, 1943. This application April 3, 1946,

Serial N0. 659,322

9 Claims.

This invention relates g-enerally to beet h arvesters, especially tothe beet topping mechanism thereof, and constitutes a continuation of my application, filed June 24, 1943, bearing Serial No. 492,077, now abandoned.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a beet topping mechanism having means capable of cutting off by one slash in a predetermined horizontal plane above the ground the top of an upstanding sugar beet.

Another object is to provide a beet topping mechanism having means capable of cutting off successively as aforesaid the tops `of beets in a given row.

Another object is to provide a beet topping mechanism having means operated through contact with individual beets for cietern'iining the position of the cutting means relative to the crowns of the respective beets during each slashing operation.

Another object is to provide a beet topping mechanism having means operable by means associated with the determining means just mentioned for controlling the action of the cutting `means so that the topping action may loccur alt the right place and at the right time.

Another obj ect is to provide a beet topping mechanism that operates without crushing or injuring the body portions of the beets encounttered, and has means operable after each topping operation for casting aside the cut tops yof said beets so that they 4will be out of the way when the remaining body portions of said beets are gathered from the ground.

Another object is to improve generally and render more eicient beet topping mechanism of the type mentioned.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing my improved beet harvester in the operation of harvesting beets;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of such harvester taken from the opposite side from Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the harvester;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the plane of line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing parts in lowermost position immediately after a topping operation;

Figure 'l is a fragmentary side elevation showing parts raised to the proper topping level;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing parts in position during Ia topping operation;

Sii-121.4)

Figure 9 is a horizontal section looking on the cutting knife, and adjacent parts, from above, and suggesting its path of movement with 'arrows;

Figure i0 is an enlarged section at the clutch and drive for the cutting mechanism;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary View of the parts of Figure 10 looking from the left ofthe latter;

Figure 12 is a section taken on line I2I2 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a section taken on said line I2-I2 but looking in the opposite direction to Figure 12; and

Figure 14 is an enlarged fragmentary section through the dash-pot which adjustably holds the floating frame.

Referring s-pecically Ito the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, Ill is a horizontal main frame provided at its rear end with suitably mounted ground wheels Il and provided at its forward end with a clevis or coupling means i2 whereby the frame may be attach-ed to a tractor (not shown) Ito be 4drawn over the ground.

I3 is an auxiliary floating frame extending over the frame Ill and having its forward end pivotally mounted on la transverse rod I4 carried by uprights I4ad on the frame I0.` The rear end of floating frame I3 is disposed loosely in a pocket I5 of a gui-de bracket I6 secured ito the frame I0, and is alternately engageable with a lower stop I1 and yan upper stop I1ab at the bottom and top respectively of said pocket. i8 is ran inverted L- Vshaped arm on the bracket I5, and I9 is a counter-balancing coil spring for the floating frame I 3 connected at one end to the arm I9 and bolted at 2U to the floating frame I3.

2| are uprights rigid with the iloating frame I3, and carrying bearings 22 for a rotatable shift 23. 24 is a rotatable shaft journaled in bearings 25 on frame II) and adapted to be driven from the power take-off of the tractor aforesaid or from any other suitable source (not shown). Bevel gears 26 and 28' respectively mesh with each other and transmit power from shaft 221 to a transverse shaft 21 journaled in bearings 28 on the frame I0. A belt 3| is reeved upon a pulley 30 secured to shaft 21 and upon a pulley 32 secured to shaft 23 for transmitting power from shaft 21 to shaft 23. Preferably said belt 3| also engages an idler pulley 3i)a on rod Ill.

Bevel gears 33 and 34 are freely mounted on shaft 23 at spaced points thereof and mesh with a bevel gear 35 keyed to a cutter operating shaft 36 journaled in an inclined tubular casing 3S rigid with the iioating frame I3. The inclined position of casing 39 relative to the ground at all times is such that suliicient clearance is provided between said casing and the cutter parts carried thereby to prevent injury to the beets,

alsdei Rigidly connected and disposed at right angles to the lower end of the shaft 36 is a plate 40 carrying a knife 4I having a cutting edge 42, the arrangement being such that the knife 4I will be approximately in a horizontal position when topping the beets 11. Such knife 4I travels in the direction of the arrows in Figure 9. On the plate 46 behind the knife is a rod 43 which is adapted to push the beet tops 1B aside after they have been severed by the knife 4I from the beets.

Preferably two feeler or gauge Wheels 44 of suitable diameter are suspended from the floating frame I3. As shown, these wheels 44 are arranged in spaced-apart relation on an axle 45 carried by bell crank levers 46 pivoted on a rod 41 extending through the uprights 2| that are rigid with the floating frame I3. Pivotally connected to the bell crank levers 46 are rods 418L that extend freely through the floating frame I3 and are provided at their upper ends with heads 41h. Coil springs 41c are sleeved on said rods 41a between the heads 41b thereof and the floating frame I3. Normally the coil springs 41c maintain the feeler wheels 44 in an operative beet feeling position whereby the feeler wheels 44, bell crank levers 46 and floating frame I3 will rise as a unit when the feeler wheels encounter a normal size beet. However, after the rear end of the floating frame I3 abuts the stop I1a at the top of pocket l5, then the coil springs 41c will permit pivotal movement of the bell crank levers 46 on their pivot rod 41 relative to the floating frame I3 when the feeler Wheels 44 encounter an abnormally large size beet. In this connection it should be borne in mind that the weight of the floating frame I3 and associated parts is counterbalanced by the spring I9, hence it will be apparent that the function of the springs 41c is merely to control the position of the feeler wheels 44 relative to the floating frame I3. Actually the engagement of the rear end of floating frame I3 with the stop I1 at the bottom of pocket I5 limits the downward movement of the feeler wheels 44 relative to the ground. As the feeler wheels 44 encounter a beet, such wheels will ride upwardly over the crown of the beet and during such upward movement will cause the rear end of the floating frame I3 and casing 39 carried thereby to be raised accordingly.

For temporarily holding the rear end of the floating frame I3 in the raised position just mentioned, I have provided suitable hydraulic mechanism A, which briefly described, comprises a hydraulic cylinder 48 pivoted at 49 to the main frame I6 and containing a suitable hydraulic medium, a piston 52 slidable within said cylinder and having a rod 53 extending outwardly through the upper end wall of said cylinder and pivotally connected at 54 to a substantially L-shaped arm 55 which in turn is pivoted at 58 to the floating frame I3, a by-pass 5U for the hydraulic medium, and a control valve 5I in said by-pass. Preferably the piston 52 is provided vertically therethrough with a passage 5Ia through which the hydraulic medium may flow during upward movement of the piston 52 in the cylinder, and said passage 5Ia is provided on the underside of the piston 52 with a flap-type check valve 52a to prevent the flow of the hydraulic medium through the passage 5ISL during downward movement of the piston in the t cylinder.

Preferably valve 5I has an arm 51 pivoted to the lower end. of a vertical link 59 which in turn is pivoted at 60 to an inverted substantially L- shaped lever 6I pivoted at 62 ori a cross bar 63 connecting uprights 63a that are rigid with the frame I0. The lever 6I is actuable by a cam 64 rigid with the hub 34EL of the bevel gear 34.

For connecting the bevel gear 33 to the shaft 23, I have provided a suitable clutch 65 which preferably comprises a cam-shaped plate 66 provided at one extremity thereof with a laterally projecting pin or stud 66a which is adapted to be engaged by an arm 66b of a lever 66 pivoted at 66d on an arm 33a which is loose on the shaft 23 and rigid with one side of bevel gear 33. A curved or arched spring 66e terminally anchored to a side portion of the bevel gear 33 and to an arm 66f of the lever 66c is adapted to move the arm 66lo into operative clutching relation with the pin 66a when a suitable trip lever 61 is disengaged from abutting relation with the arm 66I of the clutch lever 66C. Said trip lever 61 comprises a substantially straight rod pivoted at 68 to a lug 59 projecting from the casing 39.

A positioning rod 16 for the trip lever 61 passes loosely through an opening in the trip lever 61 and is pivotally connected at 1 I to the rear end of arm 55. The trip lever 61 is actuable by a collar 12 mounted on the positioning rod 10 and is normally held in engagement with said collar 'I2 by Lrneans of' a coil spring 15. Preferably such rod 13 passes through an opening 13 in the floating frame I3 and is provided beneath the floatlng frame I3 with a collar 'I4 for engagement with the underside of said floating frame. The coil spring 15 is terminally connected to the trip lever 61 and to a bracket 15a rigid with the oating frame I3 and is not only adapted to hold the trip lever in engagement with the collar 12 on the rod 16, but is adapted, after the valve 5I has been opened, to cause the rod 10 and rear end of the L-shaped arm 55 to move downwardly until the collar 12 on said rod 10 abuts the upper side of the floating frame.

In operation, the machine is drawn by a suitable tractor (not shown) over the ground so that the feeler wheels 44 may ride lengthwise over a row of uncut beets 11. As the feeler wheels 44 encounter a beet, they ride upwardly over the crown of said beet, and such upward movement of the wheels is imparted through the wheel supports 46 to the rear end of ythe floating frame I3 so that said rear end of the floating frame I3, casing 39, collar 12, rod 1I), trip lever 61 and L- shaped arm 55 as a unit will be raised accordingly. Actually the upward movement of the rear end of the floating frame is proportionate to the height of the beet over which the feeler wheels ride. As the rear end of the floating frame I3 is raised as described, the upwardly moving L-shaped arm 55 causes the rod 53 to move the piston 52 upward in the cylinder 48. During this upward movement of the piston the hydraulic medium in the cylinder 48 above the piston flows downwardly through the passage 5Ia in the piston to the lower portion of said cylinder beneath said piston. At this time the cut-off valve 5I in by-pass 50 is closed, hence hydraulic medium within the cylinder 48 below the piston 52 is trapped and supports the piston 52 and arm 55 in raised position.

After the feeler wheels 44 pass over the crown of the beet, the weight of the floating frame I3 is transferred from the feeler wheels 44 to the piston 52 within the hydraulic cylinder. For example, the rear end of the floating frame I3 falls onto the collar 14 on the rod 10, and during this falling movement of the rear end of the floating andere frame, the pivot 54 at the upper end of the piston rod-53 becomes a fulcrum for the arm 55, whereby the falling floating frame I3 will exert a downward pull on the upright part 55a of arm 55 in advance of said fulcrum and will cause the rear end of said ann 55 and the rod I0 to be moved upwardly. During this upward movement of the rod i9, the lever 61 will be tripped by the collar 'i2 Afrom the arm 66f ofthe lever 66. Then the spring 66@ will swing the arm 661J of the lever 66c into clutching relation with the pin 66a to cause the bevel gear 33 to be driven by the shaft 23. Bevel gear 33 now drives inclined shaft 36 which in turn swings the plate lll anticlockwise as in Figure 9 so that the knife 4| will cut off horizontally the top portion 18 Aof the beet. The rod -43 on the plate 4c follows the knife 4I and moves aside the cut off top portion 1.8 of the beet. Thus, from the foregoing, it will be apparent that the distance the rear end of the oating frame i3 is moved upwardly before each cutting operation is dependent upon the extent the feeler wheels :it ride upwardly over each beet. Hence, the height or elevation from the ground of the crown of each upstanding beet encountered by said feeler wheels will determine the extent the feeler wheels M ride upwardly and, accordingly, will determine the distance the rear end of the floating frame I3 is raised. The hydraulic means A will check the downward or falling movement of the rear end of said floating frame relative to the main frame in after the feeler wheels 44 pass over the crown of a beet, allowing the lever 61 to be tripped from the clutch lever 56c so that the drive to the knife 4| -may be established.

This checking action determines the elevation of the rear end of said floating frame relative to said main frame so that the cutting action of the knife il will be at the proper elevation relative to the ground to top the beet as desired.

After the top portion 'L8 of the beet has been cut off as described, `the cam 64 trips the lever '6| so that said lever will move the rod 59 and arm 51 to open the valve '5l so that hydraulic medium in the cylinder 48 and by-pass 59 will be displaced by the weight of 'the parts to which the piston 52 is subjected. For example, when hydraulic medium flows through the by-pass 59 the piston 52 moves downwardly in the cylinder 48 and allows the rear end of the floating frame i3 to fall onto the stop l1. Also, such displacement of the hydraulic medium permits the spring 'l5 to draw downwardly the rear end of lever B1 so that the forward end thereof will again engage the arm B'f and form a stop for the lever 66"'. This will yfree the lever 66 from clutching engagement with the `pin 66a, hence the driving connection from the shaft 23 to the bevel gear 33 will be broken. As a result, the plate 4.0 an-d knife di and rod 43 carried thereby will stop in the position illustrated in Figure 6. After the cam 64 clears the lever 6|, the weight of the lever 6I acting upon the rod 59 and arm 51 Will again close the valve 5l. Thus, the topping mechanism has completed one topping operation on one beet of a row and is ready to repeat the operation on the succeeding beet of the row.

The shape of the knife 4l and the shape of the plate lill Iand the positions thereof relative to each other and to the shaft 36, as well as the size and position of the feeler wheels 44 relative to the knife 4l are all important factors of my topping mechanism. The angle at which the knife 4| is disposed relative to the plate 40 enables the knife to make a practically horizontal cut on the beet `as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 8. 'The shaft 36 is located close to an edge of the plate MI so that in the rest position thereof after the rear end of the floating frame I3 has fallen, there is enough clearance between the plate 40 and the topped beet to avoid destroying the same as the cutting mechanism passes over it.

After the beets are topped as described they are removed from the ground by conventional plows 89 which are suitably suspended from the frame I0 by braces 8|. The beets are forced longitudinally of said plows onto and longitudinally of a -pair of rods 8|a from which they drop into a suitable trough or receptacle 82 supported by braces 83 Ifrom the frame I0. From the trough 32 the beets are removed by a conventional elevator 84 which dumps them into piles in the eld or into a wagon body or hopper 85 for delivery to the factory as desired.

Preferably the elevator 84 includes an endless belt 86 which has forks 81 to pick up the beets in the trough 82 and to lift the same therefrom. Said elevator belt 86 may be driven by any suitable means. Preferably a belt 92 reeved upon idler pulleys 93 is driven by a pulley 94 on a countershaft 95 journaled in bearings 96 and driven from shaft 211 by bevel gears 91 and 98.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting frame `movable over a row of beets, a rotatable knife carried by the supporting frame in a position to successively engage the beets and cut the top portions off of the beets, means supporting the knife on said frame adjustable to vary the elevation of the knife relative to the ground, means operable during the intervals between successive cutting operations 'to lift the supporting means and raise the knife an amount determined by the extent the beet preceding the knife projects above the ground, and driving means for the knife rendered operative by upward movement of theffsupporting means.

2. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting frame movable over a row of beets, a rotatable knife carried by the frame in a position to successively engage the beets and cut the top portions off of the beets, means supporting the knife on the frame adjustable to vary the elevation of the knife relative to the ground, means for determining the elevation of the knife between successive cutting operations including a rotatable member carried by the supporting means in a position to engage the beets in advance of the knife, driving mechanism for rotating the knife, and means operated by upward movement of the supporting means for connecting the driving mechanism to said knife.

3. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting frame lmovable over a row of beets, a rotatable knife carried by the frame in a position to successively engage the beets and cut off the top portions or the beets, means supporting the knife on said frame adjustable to vary the elevation of the knife relative to the ground, a wheel connected to the supporting means in a position to engage the beets in advance Vof lthe knife and movable upwardly by the beets to raise the knife supporting means relative to the frame, driving means for rotating the knife, a clutch for connecting the driving means Ato and lfor disconnecting the driving means from the knife, a connection between the clutch and supporting means operated by upward movement of the supporting means to engage the clutch and oper-.v

f? ated by downward movement of the supporting means to disengage said clutch.

4. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting frame movable over a row of beets, a rotatable cutter carried by the frame in a posi- -tion to successively engage the beets and cut the tops off the beets, means supporting the cutter on the frame adjustable in a vertical direction to vary the elevation of the cutter relative to the ground, a feeler means carried by the cutter supporting means in a position to engage the beets in advance of the cutter and raise the cutter supporting means together with the cutter prior to the cutting operation, releasable means for holding the cutter supporting means in its raised position during the cutting operation, and

v'means operating in timed relation to rotation of `the cutter for releasing said means to permit return movement of the cutter supporting means.

5. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting Iframe movable over a row of beets, a rotatable knife carried by the frame in a position to successively engage the beets and cut the top portions oi'f of the beets, means supporting ythe knife on said frame adjustable vertically to vary the elevation of the knife relative to the ground, a Wheel connected to the supporting frame in a position to engage the beets in advance of the knife and lift the supporting frame together with the knife prior to the cutting operation, releasable means for holding the knife supporting Ameans in its elevated position during the cutting operation, a drive shaft for the knife, releasable clutch mechanism for connecting the drive shaft to the knife, a connection between the l supporting means and clutch mechanism operated by upward movement of the supporting means for engaging the clutch to effect rotation of the knife and operated by downward movement of the supporting means to disengage the clutch mechanism, and means for releasing the holding means just prior to disengaging saidvclutch mechanism.

6. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting frame movable over a row of beets, an auxiliary frame pivoted at one end to the supporting frame for vertical swinging movement, a rotatable knife carried by the auxiliary frame in a position to successively engage the beets and cut the tops off of the beets, a wheel rotatably supported on the auxiliary frame in a position to engage the beets in advance of the knife, means for holding the auxiliary frame in its raised position during the cutting operation, said holding means comprising a vertical cylinder containing a fluid and secured at the lower end to the sup-.

porting frame, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder and connected to the auxiliary frame .for movement by the latter, and a valve controlled port through the piston permitting relatively free flow of fiuid in a downward direction through the piston and preventing flow of uid 'upwardly through the piston.

Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a supporting frame movable lover a row of beets, an auxiliary frame pivoted at one end to the supr'porting frame for vertical swinging movement.

a rotatable knife carried by the auxiliary frame in a position to successively engage the beets and cut the tops off of the beets, a wheel rotatably supported on the auxiliary frame in a position` to engage the beets in advance of the knife, means for holding the auxiliary yframe in its raised position during the cutting operation, said holding means comprising a vertical cylinder containing a fluid and secured at the lower end to the supporting frame, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder and connected to the auxiliary frame for Imovement by the latter, and means operating in timed relation to rotation of the knife Ifor bypassing fluid from the lower end of the cylinder below the piston to the upper end of the cylinder 8. Beet harvesting apparatus comprising a ,supporting frame movable over a row of beets,

an auxiliary frame pivoted at one end to the supporting frame for vertical swinging movement. a knife rotatably supported on the auxiliary frame adjacent the swinging end thereof and positioned to successively engage the beets to cut off the tops of the beets, a wheel supported on the auxiliary frame in a position to engage the beets in advance of the knife, means for holding the auxiliary frame in a raised position including a vertical cylinder having one end secured to the supporting frame and containing a fluid, a piston slidably Supported in the cylinder and having a port therethrough permitting relatively free flow of fluid down- -rotatable knife supported on the auxiliary frame adjacent the swinging end of the latter and positioned to successively engage the beets to cut off the top portions of the beets, a wheel supported on the auxiliary -frame in a position to engage the beets in advance of the knife to raise the auxiliary fralme, driving means for the knife, releasable clutch mechanism for connecting the driving means to the knife, a connection between the auxiliary frame and clutch mechanism operated by upward movement of the auxiliary frame for engaging the clutch mechanism to impart rotation to the knife and operated by downward movement of the auxiliary frame to disengage the clutch mechanism, and means for releasing the holding means just prior to disengaging said clutch mechanism.

LLOYD BOTIMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '773,279 Dewey Oct. 25, 1904 919,342 Gettelmann Apr. 27, 1909 1,099,643 Goode June 9, 1914 1,568,810 Djuberg Jan. 5, 1926 1,568,811 Djuberg Jan. 5, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 88,190 Germany Sept. 21, 1896 54,900 Austria Aug. 10, 191,2 

